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Warwick Star Bass Pro Series 5 string demo / solo


72deluxe
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Hello

I recorded a video of this Warwick that I bought off this very forum. It's a Warwick Star Bass, but the Pro series. They no longer make the Pro series Star Bass in Korea apparently; they are now only making Chinese ones. Although it's coloured gold, it's not actually made of gold and isn't too heavy at all. It's a 32" scale so the low B doesn't quite have the same ring as a 34" to my ears but it's good. It doesn't sound like a "normal" Warwick to me but sounds more like a Fender, although it does still have some "growl".

I hope you don't mind the mild overdrive - I enjoy some dirt.

I played along to Logic Pro drums and recorded DI, then reamped it through both a BBE BMax-T (some mild lo-boost and BBE processing and pushed mids) and also a SWR Interstellar Overdrive (blended to more DI, but with pushed overdrive, you can really hear it). I did this because instead of having a DI recording, when we play we also run through amps and cabs which colour our sound. But instead of micing up and irritating my wife beyond belief, I just put it through these preamps for some gritty colour.

Comments and criticism welcome (both on tone and playing); I know it's a tad long but I enjoy playing...

(I also confess that there's a Fender strap on it). Please excuse the stupid face and mistakes.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbwsQjwBZYM[/media]

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[quote name='72deluxe' timestamp='1413804705' post='2582033']
...I hope you don't mind the mild overdrive - I enjoy some dirt.

I played along to Logic Pro drums and recorded DI, then reamped it through both a BBE BMax-T (some mild lo-boost and BBE processing and pushed mids) and also a SWR Interstellar Overdrive (blended to more DI, but with pushed overdrive, you can really hear it). I did this because instead of having a DI recording, when we play we also run through amps and cabs which colour our sound. But instead of micing up and irritating my wife beyond belief, I just put it through these preamps for some gritty colour.

[/quote]
Nice playing and great tone IMHO.
For a "demo" I'd have liked to hear the bass in it's "natural" state - no OD etc. but thanks for posting; very enjoyable.

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[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1413805256' post='2582043']
For a "demo" I'd have liked to hear the bass in it's "natural" state - no OD etc.
[/quote]

Thanks very much for even watching it, and thanks for the comment! You're in luck regarding the tone though - as I recorded it DI'd and then reamped it I can redo the audio [i]without[/i] the overdrive (just the bass sound itself) and will post that as another video, for comparison purposes. I'll do that tonight if I get chance.

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After a quick tinker in Logic so that the DI track is the only one accompanying the drums and a lifetime of uploading to YouTube, here is the same video but with the DI bass sound instead of the preamps.

[url="http://youtu.be/3KZye6VPTfk"]http://youtu.be/3KZye6VPTfk[/url]

Again, comments welcome! Play spot the difference between the DI and preamp versions!

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Oh I do hope this doesn't sound patronising. If you continue to practice hard and learn some more about harmony, and listen deeply to a lot of the music that inspires you, you're going to be a very interesting bassist. You seem to have a refreshing lack of inhibition, and you certainly have some skills - some of which need the refinement of lovely timing, which I can see you are most certainly capable of. You're very musical.

Oh yes, lovely StarBass and lovely tones, both of them

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I don't suppose there was an easy way of putting that though. All valid points! In my defence it was hastily done (just grab and record) and it wasn't really a "musical" composition, more a demo of the bass and it's range of sounds. The timing is off (that's putting it politely) in a range of places, you're right. Thanks for giving up part of your life to watch it though.

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[quote name='72deluxe' timestamp='1413844743' post='2582796']
I don't suppose there was an easy way of putting that though. All valid points! In my defence it was hastily done (just grab and record) and it wasn't really a "musical" composition, more a demo of the bass and it's range of sounds. The timing is off (that's putting it politely) in a range of places, you're right. Thanks for giving up part of your life to watch it though.
[/quote]

I enjoyed it and I meant for you to feel happy, don't make excuses, just be happy, you have music in your blood and it comes across in your video :) There are no defences in music, if you know you can be better, and you really want to be better, you'll get better and better and bettererer.

Again, I hope [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif] [/font][/color][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]that doesn't sound patronising :blink:[/font][/color]

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Do you have any recommended reading or listening for harmony? I ask because I play very linearly ("let's run up and down scales in different patterns").

I must stress I don't play like this in the bands I am in - they're all oldies: The Eagles, The Beatles, Free, Robert Palmer, Steppenwolf etc.

Is the glaring problem mainly timing and duff fingering of notes? In anyone's opinion, is the left or the right hand the sloppiest?

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Ah! My mistake! I will have to go and remedy all the mentions of 32". It certainly felt "shorter" to me but that might because of the giant body on it compared to other shorter Corvette types (entirely psychological).

I bought it from a helpful chap up North - do you know him? :)

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Just to show how two basses of the same model played by different people can sound here's my (identical looking MiK Pro Series Star Bass) being played on our the track "[url=http://terrortones.bandcamp.com/track/bellyslam-city]BellySlam City[/url]".

All the 5-string Star Basses are 34" scale. Only the 4-string Rockbass version is 32" scale. The low B on mine sounds great - you do need to fit a taper wound version of the string rather than the standard one that comes with the Red Label strings set.

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Thanks! Recorded on an analogue 24 track machine. Although it sounded good I'd forgotten what a pain in the arse doing things like drop-in were. Hence nearly all of it is recorded live doing multiple takes until we had one we liked.

On that track it's just the neck pickup with the tone control rolled back very slightly going into a valve/digital hybrid amp with a BassPod in the effects loop. Recorded with a good quality mic on one of the speakers in the 2 x 10 cab.

The middle position on the pickup selector switch sounds great when I'm playing on my own, but doesn't have the enough presence in the band mix as each pickup singly.

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BigRedX: I get what you are saying about the pickup in the middle position - the weight of the neck pickup seems to boom through more.

Apologies for the 32" scale comment - it really is 34".
Thanks for the comments Stephen. It really was a jam, but sadly just with myself and the electronic drummer... (he wasn't very inventive)

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